Five Potential Lance Stephenson Trades
Nov 10, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New Orleans Pelicans shooting guard Anthony Morrow (3) and center Jason Smith (14) and Phoenix Suns power forward Channing Frye (8) battle for positioning during a free throw attempt during the second quarter at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
The Charlotte Hornets trade Lance Stephenson to the Orlando Magic for Channing Frye.
Channing Frye is having a down year, if you go by his per-game stats. He averages just 7.3 points and 3.9 rebounds, both well below his career averages of 9.6 and 5.0, respectively. However, his per 36 minutes stats still look good.
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/23/2015.
Yes, his points are down and his rebounds are down, but that could be simply because Frye is asked to do less, and he often shares the floor with Nikola Vucevic, a voracious rebounder. Looking at his percentages, you can tell that Frye mostly spaces the floor and shoots the three, hitting over 39% of his shots behind the arc.
For a guy who is 6’11”, that is impressive. Frye has never been known as a good defender, but his size alone allows him to at least keep the opposing team honest around the rim. If you pair him with a better interior defender, then Frye can be a great compliment.
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His outside shooting opens up the floor for the rest of the team, and woe be the team that refuses to honor Frye’s three point threat. The Charlotte Hornets’ clearly missed the outside shooting of Josh McRoberts, and adding Frye would be a welcome replacement. Imagine this year if the team had a guy like Frye coming off the bench instead of Jason Maxiell? They might still be playing.
For the Magic, this is simply a cost-cutting move. Frye has three more years on his deal while Stephenson has only one. It would be a little painful to pay Frye $8M a year to stand on the three point line, but that is surely better than paying Stephenson $9M to sit on the bench.
Next: Gerald Wallace